Chapter in 30 Seconds
Master the clock and the calendar to organize your world and share your plans.
- Navigate past, present, and future with simple time markers.
- Use prepositions correctly to describe specific parts of your day.
- Tell the time clearly using the 'o'clock' system.
Your day, organized and shared with ease.
你将学到什么
Want to talk about your day, from 'morning' to 'night'? This chapter makes it simple! We'll explore words like 'Today' and 'Tomorrow,' and even learn how to tell the time, so you can share your simple plans with confidence.
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基本时间词：今天、明天、昨天Master Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday for clear, confident daily conversations.
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一天中的时段：早上、晚上、周末Mastering
in the morning,at night, andon the weekendunlocks clear daily communication. -
现在是三点 — 报时掌握英语时间表达其实很简单：直接说数字，整点加 "o'clock«，分清 »am« 和 »pm" 就可以啦！
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
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1
By the end you will be able to identify and use 'today', 'tomorrow', and 'yesterday' to sequence events.
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2
By the end you will be able to select the correct prepositions (in, at, on) for different times of the day.
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3
By the end you will be able to state the current time using 'It is' and 'o'clock'.
章节指南
Overview
Knowing how to talk about time is one of the most useful skills you'll learn as you begin your English journey. Imagine wanting to share what you did yesterday, what you're doing today, or your fun plans for tomorrow! This chapter will give you the essential building blocks to do just that.
You'll discover easy ways to name different parts of your day, like in the morning or at night, and even learn how to tell someone the time.
This isn't just about learning words; it's about connecting with people and making simple plans. Whether you want to say,
I work todayor "Let's meet at 3 o'clock," mastering these basics will open up new conversations. Getting comfortable with these phrases is a fantastic first step in English talking about time for beginners and a core part of your journey to learn English A0 grammar.
It makes every interaction clearer and helps you organize your daily life in English.
### How This Grammar Works
Let's break down the simple rules for talking about time. We'll start with how to refer to different days, then move to parts of the day, and finally, telling the exact hour.
First, the basic time words for days:
* Today means this day, right now. Example: I eat pizza today.
* Tomorrow means the day after today. When you talk about tomorrow, you usually use a verb for the future, like
will. Example: I will eat pizza tomorrow.* Yesterday means the day before today. When you talk about yesterday, you use a verb for the past. Example: I ate pizza yesterday. Notice
ate is the past of eat.Next, let's look at parts of the day:
* We use the word in for larger parts of the day, like in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening. Example: I drink coffee in the morning.
* For night, we use at. Example: I sleep at night.
* When you add a specific day, like for the weekend or a specific day of the week, we use on. Example: I relax on the weekend. Or: I go to work on Monday.
Finally, telling the time for exact hours:
* When the minutes are zero, we use o'clock. It's very simple! Example: It's 7 o'clock. Or: My class is at 9 o'clock. We say the number first, then o'clock.
### Common Mistakes
Here are a few easy-to-make mistakes and how to fix them to sound more natural.
- 1Wrong verb tense with
yesterdayortomorrow.
✗ I will eat breakfast yesterday. (Incorrect tense for past action)
✓ I ate breakfast yesterday. (Use past tense for yesterday)
✗ I played soccer tomorrow. (Incorrect tense for future action)
✓ I will play soccer tomorrow. (Use future tense for tomorrow)
- 1Using the wrong small word for parts of the day.
✗ I read book on night.
✓ I read book at night. (Use at for night)
✗ We meet at the morning.
✓ We meet in the morning. (Use in for morning)
- 1Forgetting "o'clock" for exact hours or using it incorrectly.
✗ It's 3 time.
✓ It's 3 o'clock. (Use o'clock for exact hours)
✗ It's 3 o'clock and thirty minutes. (No, o'clock is only for exact hours)
✓ It's 3 o'clock. (Only use o'clock when the minutes are zero)
### Real Conversations
See how these simple time words help in everyday chats:
A: What do you do today?
B: I work in the morning. Then, I relax in the afternoon.
A: What time is it?
B: It's 5 o'clock.
A: Oh! I go home at 5 o'clock.
A: Do you work on the weekend?
B: No, I relax on the weekend. I will visit my friend tomorrow.
### Quick FAQ
Q: How do you ask someone what time it is in English?
A: You can simply ask,
What time is it?or "What's the time?" These are both very common and polite.
Q: Can I say
morning without in the?A: Yes, you can say
Good morning! or See you tomorrow morning.But when you describe an action happening during that part of the day, you usually use
in the morning.For example:
I eat breakfast in the morning.
Q: What if the time is not an exact hour (like 3:30)?
A: At the A0 level, focus on o'clock for exact hours. You will learn how to say other times later, but for now, "It's 3 o'clock" is perfect if the clock shows 3:00.
Q: What are some other common time words for A0 learners?
A: Good question! You can also learn
now (for this moment) and later (for a time after now). For example: I am busy now. I will call you later.
### Cultural Context
English speakers use these simple time expressions constantly in daily life. Saying
at night,
in the morning,or
tomorrowis very natural and expected. Don't worry about being too formal; these basic phrases are the building blocks for all kinds of conversations, from making plans with friends to talking about your workday.
Just keep it simple and consistent with the rules you've learned.
关键例句 (4)
1
2
3
4
技巧与窍门 (3)
💡
The 'No Preposition' Rule
Never say 'on today' or 'at tomorrow'. These words are adverbs and don't need help from prepositions.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 基本时间词：今天、明天、昨天
💡
The 'The' Rule
If you use 'in', you almost always need 'the'. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 一天中的时段：早上、晚上、周末
💡
结合你的日常生活来练习
试着大声说出你每天做每件事的时间，这能帮你形成肌肉记忆：
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 现在是三点 — 报时
I wake up at seven am,
I eat dinner at six pm.
核心词汇 (7)
Today
The current day
Tomorrow
The day after today
Yesterday
The day before today
Morning
The early part of the day
Night
The time when it is dark
Weekend
Saturday and Sunday
O'clock
Of the clock (used for top of the hour)
Real-World Preview
users
Meeting a Friend
Review Summary
- [Time Word] + [Verb]
- In the [Period] / At [Night] / On the [Weekend]
- It is + [Number] + o'clock
常见错误
While we use 'in the' for morning/afternoon, 'night' always takes the preposition 'at'.
Wrong:
I work in the night.
正确:
I work at night.
In English, we use 'o'clock' to tell the time. 'Hours' refers to a duration of time, not a point on the clock.
Wrong:
It is 5 hours.
正确:
It is 5 o'clock.
We use 'on' for days and the weekend in American English (though 'at' is used in British English, 'on' is standard for A0 learners).
Wrong:
I see you in the weekend.
正确:
I see you on the weekend.
本章规则 (3)
Next Steps
You're doing great! Being able to talk about time is a huge step toward fluency. Keep practicing your 'o'clocks'!
Look at your watch every hour and say the time out loud.
Write three sentences about what you did yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
快速练习 (10)
Identify the possessive form.
___ weather is very cold.
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Today's
Use 's to make the time word possessive.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 基本时间词：今天、明天、昨天
Correct the mistake in the sentence.
Find and fix the mistake:
I go to the park in the weekend.
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: on the weekend
In American English, we use 'on the weekend'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 一天中的时段：早上、晚上、周末
Fill in the missing time word.
Today is Wednesday. ___ was Tuesday.
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Yesterday
The day before Wednesday is Tuesday.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 基本时间词：今天、明天、昨天
Fix the mistake in the sentence.
Find and fix the mistake:
I will see you on tomorrow.
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I will see you tomorrow.
We do not use 'on' with tomorrow.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 基本时间词：今天、明天、昨天
Choose the correct word for the past.
I ___ a movie yesterday.
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: watched
Yesterday requires the past tense 'watched'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 基本时间词：今天、明天、昨天
Complete the question.
Are you going to the party ___?
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: tomorrow
'Are you going' is future/present, so 'tomorrow' fits best.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 基本时间词：今天、明天、昨天
Which sentence is correct?
Select the natural English sentence.
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I sleep at night.
'At night' is the standard expression for nighttime habits.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 一天中的时段：早上、晚上、周末
选择正确的表达方式。
The class starts at nine _____.
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: o'clock
O'clock 用于表示整点时间。frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 现在是三点 — 报时
哪句话是正确的？
Choose the correct sentence:
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: My alarm rings at six thirty am.
分钟紧跟在小时后面，
am 或 pm 放在最后面。frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 现在是三点 — 报时
Which sentence is correct?
Select the natural sentence.
✓ Correct!
✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I ate this morning.
English uses 'this morning' instead of 'today morning'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 基本时间词：今天、明天、昨天
Score: /10
常见问题 (6)
It is better to say
last night. While people will understand you, last night is the standard expression.It can be both! In 'Tomorrow is Monday,' it is a noun. In 'I will go tomorrow,' it is an adverb.
It's a historical exception. 'Morning' is seen as a duration (a box of time), while 'night' was historically seen as a single point in time.
Yes, but only for specific events, like 'I heard a noise in the night.' For habits, always use 'at night'.
直接先说小时，再说分钟！比如
4:20 就是 four twenty。这种方式最直接，大家都听得懂。只有在整点的时候才用，比如
5:00 是 "five o'clock"。它是个专门给整点准备的词。
